


Budding

by darkunlimited



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-05 23:12:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5393801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkunlimited/pseuds/darkunlimited
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tokyo Ghoul Secret Santa Exchange Gift for princecentipede.  The request was for either pre-ghoul Kaneki or pre-centipede.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Budding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [princecentipede](https://archiveofourown.org/users/princecentipede/gifts).



> SS A/N Notes: Happy Secret Santa Xell! Uh, not so much snarky Neki’ in this but it is pre-ghoul. I tried to keep it upbeat but Kaneki does get picked on a little bit. 
> 
> It’s okay, Hide fixes it.
> 
> Fun Fact: While this fic is written from Kaneki’s POV, my outline and notes are from Hide’s.

They’re talking about him again.  His classmates.  One small group of girls specifically. His class had a free period at the end of the day because the teacher had to leave early but classes weren’t over yet.  Most students took the time to study but it seemed others would rather gossip instead.  
  
“Eww, no way, Kaneki-kun?”  
  
“N-no!  Not him.  He’s so... plain, ya know?”  The girl who had spoken grimaced as other two girls near her nodded in agreement.  Well, ‘plain’ was certainly a step up from the last time he overheard them.  The classroom was full but mostly quiet so couldn’t they tell he could hear them?  Or did they just not care?  “I-it’s Nagachika-kun.”  
  
“Nagachika-kun?  Oh, good choice Sayuri!”  
  
“Yeah.  Much better than the lifelong virgin.”  
  
“So mean, Nanaho.”  
  
“Just calling it like I see it.”  More giggles as Kaneki flipped the page of his book.  Maybe if he focused, he could drown them out.

_One of the first signs of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die. This life appears unbearable, another unattainable. One is no longer ashamed of wanting to die; one asks to be moved from the old cell, which one hates, to a new one, which one will only in time come to hate._

“Are you gonna tell him?”  The first girl asked and Kaneki had to fight down the bile that quickly collected in his throat as he forced himself to clear his thoughts.   What they were saying was none of his business.  

_In this there is also a residue of belief that during the move the master will chance to come along the corridor, look at the prisoner and say: "This man is not to be locked up again, He is to come with me.”_

“Ka~ne~ki!”  Seconds after hearing his name, Kaneki was crushed against his desk from a brutal hug against his back; the book just barely staying in his hands.  

“H-Hide?!”  If Hide was already done with his classes and came here that meant-

“Classes are over Kaneki.  Did you lose track of time again?  Do you and Book-kun need some time alone?”  The tease was an old one; Hide frequently expressed his wish for Kaneki to get his head out of books so Hide could hold his attention better, but for some reason the innuendo hurt this time.

Was he really so unlovable that people assumed he preferred the company of his books?

Would Hide rather go out with that girl?

“Kaneki.”  Hide’s expression is serious, worrisome.  Kaneki doesn’t want to explain his upset, even to his best friend.    

“Sorry.”  He cups his hand over his chin and smiles, hoping he looks relaxed enough when answering. He won’t be a burden. “I guess I got sidetracked a bit.”

Hide’s somber look disappeared in an instant.  The blond’s usual cheer back as he grins.

“I see how it is.”  Dramatically, Hide throws an arm over his forehead and sighs, leaning against the desk opposite from his.  “I’ve gotten boring!”

“You’re anything but boring, Hide.”  Kaneki snorts, as he starts to clear off his desk.  He’s not scheduled for cleaning duty and he doesn’t have any clubs today so the two can just go home from here.  Hide always walked with him on the free days that matched up.

“Oh!  The bookstore is having an early Christmas sale today.  Didn’t you wanna pick up that new novel from Tatasuki Zen, ‘The Black Goat’s Babe’?

“It’s Takatsuki Sen.”  Geez, how many times did he have to correct him? “And, ‘The Black Goat’s Egg’ isn’t coming out until a few months after graduation.”

“Oh?  In that case, how bout we visit the CD store next to it.” Hide suggested shamelessly as Kaneki rolled his eyes. Even if Hide had his information right and they did go to the bookstore, Hide still would have made the extra stop for his music.  

However, it wasn’t like he was in a rush to get home and maybe they could go to Big Girl after.  Just a few more moments of time together before something separated them; be it graduation or a new girlfriend.  

After all, with how much Kaneki relied on Hide, his friend was probably getting tired of spending so much time with him.

+++

He’s on cleaning duty today and the girls are whispering to each other again.  This alone is not a bad thing since they are mostly keeping to themselves unlike a few days ago. No, that’s not what has Kaneki on edge.  It’s how that girl Sayuri glances his way occasionally while she’s cleaning.   Sometimes with no expression on her face and sometimes grimacing like she ate something moldy.  

“I don’t get it.”  Sayuri still has a sour look when she approaches him minutes later, her friends flanking both her sides.

“Excuse me?”  Kaneki doesn’t understand exactly what’s going on, or why Sayuri looks so disdainful towards him.    

“Just what does Nagachika-kun see in you?”  

“What?”  Why is she asking like that?  He’s been friends with Hide for years.   _ **Everyone**_ knows that.  He’s done nothing wrong. Nothing.  He’s never gone out of his way to upset any of his classmates.  He’s never done anything to hurt anybody so why is he always...

“Sayuri.”  Kaneki jumps at the sound of Hide’s voice right behind him, only catching a brief glance of his friends face before the blond swings an arm over his shoulder and is smiling pleasantly.

It’s weird but for a second there… did Hide look angry?

“Nagachika-kun!”  Red-faced with embarrassment, Sayuri ducks her head away from Hide’s gaze before replying again.  “I just thought I’d-

“Hey guys do you mind if I take Kaneki out of here early?  Club got cancelled early, so…”  Hide is scratching his cheek in that nervous way of his; a deep contrast to the outgoing personality Kaneki was familiar with. “Could you take over the rest of his cleaning duties so we can leave?”  Hide bows, dragging Kaneki with him, the other boy having somehow started holding Kaneki’s hand without his notice.  “I’d really appreciate it!”

Kaneki keeps his head down, doing his best to keep the fierce blush spreading across his face from taking over, only looking at the others through his peripheral.  Just what is Hide doing?

“Oh, umm...”  Sayuri is hedging and both of her friends are staring at her now; looking just as confused as Kaneki feels.

“There’s no hard feelings, right?”  Huh? Kaneki wonders as Hide stands up properly, his smile softening as the blond seemed to communicate with Sayuri without speaking.  It’s weird but all the anger she had been projecting onto Kaneki dissipates, leaving a tinge of sadness and defeat in the air.

 _What just happened?_ Kaneki feels a tug on his hand and within moments, Hide has grabbed his school bag and is steadily walking them towards the lockers at the school’s entrance to switch out their shoes.

“Hide-” Kaneki starts before Hide shifts gears on him, again.

“I bet if we hurry up to the station we can get to our promised land of Camlann.”

“It’s Canaan.”  Kaneki corrects him; it’s instinct.

“Oh yeah.”  Hide snorts as he puts on his own shoes, taking Kaneki’s hand as he walks out and into the courtyard.

“Hide, did your club really get cancelled?” The words came out in a rush but he had to know.  Clubs usually didn’t get cancelled unless they were outdoor sports and it was bad weather.  Hide’s club fit neither reasoning for cancellation.

“Nope.  Skipped.”  Hide stopped midway through the courtyard only to turn around and glance past Kaneki.  “You didn’t tell me that Sayuri was upsetting you.”

 _Huh?  How did he-_ but then it came to him.  Hide’s look the other day when he’d walked into his classroom.  He’d overheard those girls talking about Kaneki and given how Kaneki always was when others bullied him… _Hide came to my rescue again, didn’t he?_

“Hey, Kaneki.  Wanna make Sayuri jealous?  It’ll make you feel better!”  Hide asks, stepping into Kaneki’s personal space.  

“How?”  Kaneki assumed Hide would whisper the answer in his ear, considering how the blond placed a hand on his cheek to tilt his head before leaning forward.  He hadn’t expected that instead Hide would close the distance between them and kiss him.

There’s a scream and clatter behind them but Hide doesn’t let Kaneki pull away to see what’s going on, instead he’s brought closer, enveloped as the kiss becomes deeper.

It’s weird, how natural it feels.

“W-wh-wh-why did you do that?”  Kaneki stammers, trying to keep his voice lowered as the kiss is broken.   _The whole school could have seen that!_

“We’re dating.”   _What!?_ “I told her earlier today when she tried to ask me out but I think she needed a little proof.” Hide smiled and waved casually back towards the school where Sayuri had dropped her bag onto the ground in complete despair.

“You jerk!  Don’t make that kind of decision on your own!”  Kaneki huffs as Hide grabs for his hand once more, swatting it away when their fingertips touch, ignoring the lure of comfort the gesture brings.

“It’s only till graduation.  Besides, knowing you, you’ll need practice to catch even the most basic of babes!  I mean seriously, have you even kissed anyone before?”

“Now who’s being insulting?” Kaneki retorts as he walks past his best friend, mortified to be caught in this new situation.

“Hey, I’m taking one for the team!  You should be thanking me!”  

“Thanking you?  Because they’ll start picking on you too?”  Honestly, he was grateful that Hide cared so much for him but now both their reputations were completely out the door.   

Still, if it was Hide…. maybe he could manage a few months in a fake relationship with the person most important to him.  

“Oh?  Guess I didn’t think that far ahead, huh?”  Hide smiled as he casually swung his arm around Kaneki’s shoulders. “I guess it’s a good thing my _boyfriend_ is going to buy me comfort taiyaki on the way home then.”

+++

_Fin._

**Author's Note:**

> The book quote is from Franz Kafka's Blue Octavo Notebooks. It seemed apropos plus I like filler when I can't think of what to write. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
